Darkness
by Wish I Had A Cool Name
Summary: Ritsuka's a demon, a human-like being with cat ears & tail, abused by his owner. Salvation comes in a rather unexpected form though. Some domestic abuse, & sketchy activity later on. Re-edited, cuz I was so horrified. Ch 3-4 & 5-7 combined, so 4 ch total.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **So, I obviously don't own Loveless, but much love to Kouga Yun in all her awesomeness for thinking it up.

My first fanfic, so enjoy!

Also, it has been cleaned up! I was looking back through, and was totally displeased with it. I re-edited!

* * *

_Somebody save me from this hell..._

X - X - X - X - X

"Ritsuka! Come watch the shop!"

A boy with roughly shoulder-length black hair and soft, black cat ears picked himself up from a nest of blankets at the back of the store, his tail swishing behind him. A wide collar was fastened around his neck, and identification tags jingled slightly when he moved.

Ritsuka took his place behind the counter while a tall teenage boy with wavy black hair went into the back. A moment later, he heard the teen's footsteps in the apartment above.

The door opened with the tinkling of a bell, making Ritsuka jump. Two teenage girls in uniforms traipsed in, laughing and talking loudly. The cat-boy shrank back slightly as they approached the counter.

"Ooh, it's a demon!" one of them squealed. "You're so pre~tty! Are you a girl or a boy? I can't te~ll." Her way of talking was slightly pouty and a little whiny, drawing out words so that they had an extra syllable or two.

"R-Ritsuka's a boy," he said quietly.

"Oh, how cute!" gushed the second girl. "He's so shy, it just makes me wanna' hug him!" She reached across the counter and pulled him as close as was physically possible, not noticing when Ritsuka flinched away from her outstretched hands.

"Um...uh...R-...Ritsuka needs to t-take your o-order," he stammered, disconcerted. The girl released him and pursed her lips, thinking.

"I want...a hot chocolate with whipped cream, and a chocolate chip scone," she decided.

"Ohh, sounds yu~mmy...I'll have the same!" chimed Girl Number One. They retreated to one of the small round tables to wait, giggling up a storm. Ritsuka really didn't like tending to the store, especially when the customers were anything like the two high school girls.

Ritsuka sat the drinks and the pastries on the table and was turning away when Girl Number One caught his bandaged right wrist. "Aaw~, what happened to your hand?" she asked, as Girl Number Two tutted beside her.

"Ritsuka fell," he said in his ever-quiet voice, and gently pulled his hand free. "Ritsuka needs to tend to the shop."

X - X - X - X - X

"Ritsuka, you did very well today. Thank you for watching the shop for-"

"There's no need to thank it, Seimei," cut in Misaki, her long hair falling over her shoulder into her face. "He's not worthy of such sweet words from my perfect son..." Softly, she stroked Seimei's face. "How are your classes at the university?"

Seimei smiled down at his mother. "Great. I'm really enjoying them. That reminds me...Ritsuka, this girl I know asked me to give this to you." He pulled a brightly-wrapped treat from his pocket. "She has a demon too, and says hers love these." Ritsuka reached for the snack, but when his fingers brushed it, his hand was slapped away.

"Ungrateful little beast! You haven't thanked Seimei for his generosity! The real Ritsuka would have already done so!" The demon was knocked sideways by an open-handed blow, and he curled up, shivering, on the floor.

"Ritsuka's sorry! Ritsuka's sorry! Ritsuka won't do it again!"

Attempting to calm her, Seimei pulled Misaki from the room, the woman screaming all the while. "Why did you have to buy this...this..._thing_ anyway! It's nothing like the real Ritsuka! My poor baby's dead, and I have to look at this monster day after day, calling it by the same name as my real child! It's nothing like my Ritsuka-" As they disappeared around the corner, Seimei looked back at the small form huddled in the corner with his hands over his head.

X - X - X - X - X

_Someone please take me away...

* * *

_

A/N: Hmmm...you can review if you want, but I'm not fussed, really. So rest assured, I ain't gonna be cryin if none come. But! If there's nothin nice or even the slightest bit helpful comin out of your mouth (fingers, whatever)...Save it. I'm kinda impatient, and that would just piss me off. You _will_ get a nastygram in return. So! Hope you liked it, and there'll be more to come! (Even if you didn't like it.)

*Japanese lesson!*

It's thought of as cutesy/cute to refer to yourself by your name. Also, people don't generally refer to others as "you", even if they're talking to them, because it's considered rude. Instead, they use their name. (example: "Does Yamada-san like this?" "Oh, yes, thank you very much. I love this." - the "you" in this example doesn't actually exist, fyi. Yamada-san isn't actually saying you.)


	2. Chapter 2

**As I have been cleaning these chapters up, I've realized just how short these chapters are. They look a lot longer in my own handwriting (not that my handwriting's big, by any means). I'm considering combining all of the chapters into one big one, or maybe two or three longer ones. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.**

* * *

Ritsuka sat curled on the window seat of the cafe, staring out the rain-streaked windows. He dully watched the passersby as they hurried this way and that, eager to get out of the rain. Envious of their ability to come and go as they pleased, he thought of the chain fastened to his collar that secured him to the wall next to his perch. He had been bad, Misaki said, so his freedom had been limited to a five-foot area around the window. Ritsuka had wracked his brain as to the reason for his current punishment, but was as of yet unsuccessful. Still, he was used to such things, having been treated thus since his initial purchase over five years ago.

"Look, Mommy!" said a little girl, tugging at her mother's arm and pointing as they entered the cafe. "Can I pet him?" The girl's mother looked to Seimei, tending a nearby table, who nodded.

Ritsuka cringed away from the girl as she ran up, squealing excitedly. She tugged on his tail and grabbed at his ears, making him all the more frightened. "He's so soft..." crooned the girl, viciously pulling a fistful of Ritsuka's hair, causing him to hiss in pain and warning. Startled, the girl shrank back and started to cry. As her mother comforted her, Misaki stopped what she was doing to slap Ritsuka.

"That's no way to behave! Apologize!"

Ears flattened, Ritsuka said in his quiet voice, "Ritsuka's sorry. Ritsuka won't do it again."

"Ungrateful demon," Misaki muttered as she walked away. "Just who does he think takes care of him? And then he has to go and pull a stunt like that..."

Vaguely, Ritsuka wondered who the real demon was.

After dinner, Seimei brought Ritsuka his meal. The cat-boy was to stay chained to the window for another day, as dictated by Misaki. Seimei reached out to pet Ritsuka, smiling wryly when he flinched away.

"Don't mind Mom," he said. "She's just unhappy. Ever since Ritsuka died, she's never really been the same. Especially since Dad had just left..." Ritsuka was silent, but he couldn't help but feel slight contempt for his teenage owner. Just because Misaki wasn't happy didn't mean she could treat him this way, and Seimei simply indulged her.

* * *

**I said this in the original chapter, but the interesting bit comes soon. These first two chapters are just to fill you in, I suppose. **

**If you hate it, I don't care. Don't bother reviewing if you have nothing nice to say. ~ 3 Wishes  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**I've combined chapters 3 and 4. I think it's a lot better now that it's longer.

* * *

**

Ritsuka sat huddled in the corner of a dingy apartment with his tail wrapped protectively around his feet. He should have been happy that he was finally free of Misaki, but he couldn't be. When he thought of the future, all he could see was...

Darkness.

* * *

"He's going to be here any minute," said Seimei to Ritsuka, who was once again chained to the wall in the cafe. "Don't worry, Takashi is a good guy. I'm sure you'll be happy there." His smile was meant to be reassuring, but Ritsuka had a bad feeling about the whole situation.

The door opened with the chime of the bell, and in walked a carelessly dressed man wearing a sweatshirt over a bare chest and a beanie over his shaggy hair. Ritsuka could only see a bad guy in this friend of Seimei's - but then, many of Seimei's friends looked a little scary, but turned out to be nice underneath.

"Yo," said Takashi. "You said you had a demon you were giving away..."

Seimei unfastened the chain from the wall and handed it to Takashi. "He's all yours now."

When they had arrived at Takashi's apartment, he'd been rather disgusted to find the number of injuries that had been hidden under Ritsuka's coat.

"Tch...giving me damaged goods...that jerk..." He'd left the apartment shortly after, and not returned for several hours. Now, he stood before Ritsuka, who shrank back under his gaze.

"Look, I really have no use for a worthless thing like you," he said flatly. "You're thin as a twig, and beat to a pulp. You're no good." He opened the front door, and motioned for Ritsuka to leave. "Go where you like, but you can't stay here." Ritsuka stood, and left the apartment, his heart heavy.

_Of course...why would anyone want someone as worthless as me?_

It was dark out now, and he had nowhere to go.

* * *

Ritsuka wandered the streets, heedless of the pouring rain. His whole body hurt from the day before, when Misaki had beat him half to death. He trudged on without seeing his surroundings, and only dimly registered the presence of a tall boy with long silver hair a little ways off.

"Hey, this is no place for a kid like you to..."

Ritsuka heard no more of the warning, and the world went black.

Ritsuka's ear twitched, picking up the sound of quiet voices nearby. Despite not being fully conscious, he was slightly edgy - quiet voices were unfamiliar to him, and he liked them even less than yelling. As he rose from the grip of sleep, he slowly registered his surroundings.

_...It's warm...comfortable...ugh, it hurts..._

"This the kid you found, Youji? What state's he in, that you couldn't even tell me?"

Ritsuka's eyes snapped open, suddenly fully aware. He sat up quickly, discovering he was lying on a futon, and a damp cloth fell from his forehead.

"You shouldn't be up yet," said a second voice, "You have a fever."

Ritsuka's head snapped around, and he instinctively backed away, ignoring the pain the movements brought.

Two boys stood before him, one sucking in a breath at the sight of Ritsuka's naked body. There were several long cuts, massive black and purple bruises, and a few spots that looked like the top layer of skin had been grazed off. His whole body was one massive wound, fresh injuries layered over half-healed ones and old scars. The kid looked like he'd been through hell.

Ritsuka examined the two boys with narrowed eyes, not relaxing from his defensive crouch, despite the fact that they were also demons. One he recognized from the night before - long silver hair, golden eyes, and a handsome face. He was lean, healthy unlike Ritsuka, whose ribs showed prominently. The second boy was just as tall as the other, with thick, wavy red hair that fell beneath his shoulders. His tail was full, unlike his friend's, which was sleek and short-haired, like Ritsuka's. The redhead's eyes were a striking emerald green, though his right was covered by a square bandage, held on by ties that stretched from each corner across his face to secure behind his ears.

"**Be calm**," said the silver-haired boy in the demon language, trying to soothe Ritsuka with both polite speech and the warm, soothing sound of demon tones. "**You are safe here. We wish to tend to your wounds.**"

Ritsuka didn't relax, instead replying in kind. "**Who are you, and why did you help me? Where are we? Where are my clothes?**"

The silver-haired demon approached, a box in his hands, and was relieved when the other let him come near, though he flinched from his touch. "**I am Youji, and that is my mate, Natsuo. You collapsed in front of me last night in the streets. I had no clothes to replace your wet ones, and so put you to bed as you are. We are in a storeroom that is not often used. I brought you here because your eyes were asking for help, whether or not it was conscious.**"

Youji's hands stopped their work, hesitating over a piercing in Ritsuka's navel. A ring curved around the top edge of the depression and into the skin. A long, delicate chain descended from the ring, looping back up once, the free end hanging a good inch from the ring before ending in a small rounded teardrop shape just below the bottom of the loop. The entire thing was skillfully carved from bone.

"**Do I have permission to remove your mawei? I must bandage your stomach.**" Ritsuka nodded. Not all demons chose to wear mawei, but for another that was not one's mate to touch the ring was taboo. All demons knew this, and it was extremely insulting to try.

Carefully and respectfully, Youji unfastened the ring and set it aside, before he resumed attending to Ritsuka's injuries. The boy's strength had quickly left him once he was sure there was no immediate danger, a fact not lost on Natsuo, who had been watching quietly.

"**What's your name?**" Natsuo asked.

"**...Ritsuka.**" His voice was so quiet that Natsuo almost didn't catch the reply. In it, Ritsuka's exhaustion and pain were apparent.

"**How'd you end up like this?**" Natsuo's speech was not careful and polite like his mate's, though normally, Youji's was just as rough as his own.

Ritsuka was quiet for a moment. "**...My owners...**" Natsuo asked, and Youji's ears flicked in annoyance. They had no love of humans, but those who abused their "pets" they felt the most contempt for.

Youji helped Ritsuka into a too-large shirt that Natsuo had brought with the medical supplies. Both he and his partner were a good deal taller than Ritsuka, so the shirt fell halfway to his knees, and far past his fingertips.

Gently pushing Rtisuka onto the futon, he said, "**Sleep now, and regain your strength. We will talk more tomorrow.**" The younger boy obediently closed his eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.

"**I can't even imagine what kind of life the kid's led till now**," Youji fumed quietly. "**And obviously, it's been going on a long time.**"

Natsuo looked down at the small form on the futon. "**Normally, after being a pet for a while, the instincts degenerate. But his're as sharp as if it was day one. From the moment he woke up he was on the defense.**"

Youji shrugged. "**Considering his situation, I'm not surprised. From the look of things, he was on the defense 'round the clock.**"

Looking outside, Natsuo saw the rain had stopped, carefully wrapped Ritsuka in the kakebuton, so as to carry him home. As they only had one futon at home, Youji gathered up the shikibuton as well. The owner's wouldn't miss it-they clearly hadn't been in the storeroom for some time, and probably wouldn't even realize it was gone.

* * *

I'm all for using the original Japanese words where I can, so...

Translations:

futon-traditional Japanese bedding that lays on the floor (usually), made up of padded mattresses and quilts that are pliable enough to fold up and store during the day so that living space can become a bedroom and vice-versa. They're designed to be put on tatami flooring (woven rice straw mats), so they're generally folded away during the day anyway to allow the mats to breathe. They must be aired in the sun often.

kakebuton-the thick, quilted bedcover

shikibuton-the flat mattress

just for fun:

mofu-blanket (usually comes in a set with the kakebuton and shikibuton)


	4. Chapter 4

**I've combined the original chapters 5-7, so don't be alarmed by the sudden shortening of the piece! The next chapter (what would originally have been chapter 8) is coming soon! I have to say, I'm extremely glad that Christmas break has come around, because I set up a demon of a schedule for Junior year. But, I've got a little time now, so I'm paying attention to my poor, neglected story! Criticism and comments are appreciated, but hate mail is not!**

* * *

"**We're leaving**," said Natsuo, opening the door to leave for work. Ritsuka nodded, stroking the large stuffed rabbit the older boys had given him after he had woken up in their small apartment a week ago. Ritsuka strongly suspected it was stolen, as they lived a very hand-to-mouth existence. They were crammed into a 1K apartment, and the only jobs they could hold without being discovered were night jobs in the entertainment district. Even so, sometimes they still had to steal food.

Natsuo pulled his cap over his ears, spared one last glance at Ritsuka, then followed Youji out the door. He was uncharacteristically worried about the younger demon, especially since he'd gotten to know him a bit. Ritsuka didn't talk unless it was absolutely necessary, and when he did it was in a quiet, non-confrontational voice. He could be found staring out the window for hours at a time, taking in the view past the balcony rail. The kid had long since retreated deep within himself, saving whatever fragments of his sanity he had left.

He'd adjusted to his life in the small apartment fairly quickly though, and the past two nights Natsuo and Youji had come home to a still-warm meal, a heated bath, and their futon already laid out. Natsuo liked to think that they had slipped past his defenses, even if just a little.

* * *

As they entered the entertainment district, the two demons checked their caps to make sure they wouldn't be given away by their ears. Demons without collars faced severe punishment, and the way they were living was dangerous. The pair hurried into an alley, slipping into the side door of Seven Moons, an izakaya popular with university students and the younger crowd of office workers. Once in the small staff room, they shrugged off their coats, double-checking that tails and ears really were sufficiently hidden. However, before they could enter the shop they were ambushed by a short woman with two sets of clothing in her hands.

"These are for you," Nagisa said, thrusting the hangers at them. "You can't be wearing the same thing to work all the time, and I know you can't afford new clothes right now, so I snagged you these." Nagisa worked as a stylist, and as the owner's fiancee, she made it her duty to make sure the staff at Seven Moons were properly dressed. The clothes she had given Natsuo and Youji were trendy and probably expensive, acquired from a shoot she had worked on recently.

Youji thanked her for the clothes as Natsuo stowed them in their lockers, then they made their way to the front. "You're late!" called Minami Ritsu from behind the bar.

"Your girlfriend ambushed us," said Natsuo, heading towards an incoming couple's table. He and Youji weren't allowed to work behind the bar, because they obviously weren't of age, so they tended the tables instead. The work wasn't bad, but when large groups came in, it made things busy for the two demons.

Just after eleven, one such group burst in, university students celebrating the completion of a project. They quickly became very loud, downing alcohol like water and keeping Natuso and Youji running back and forth between them and the other customers.

As they neared closing, Youji overheard a conversation that had nothing to do with the rest of the drunken party. He was bringing a couple non-alcoholic drinks to the only two sober people in the party - a bored, indifferent-looking blonde man who had his hair pulled into a low ponytail over his shoulder, and his green-haired friend that had far too much metal in his ears. There had to have been seven rings in each ear.

"...all that different. Structurally, they're the same, save the ears and tails. I'm sure one could easily pass for a human." Youji snorted a little. _Ain't that the truth._

"I dunno, Soubi. They're happy, you know?"

Soubi looked sideways at his green-haired friend. "Kio, how happy can you possibly be when you're forced to wear a collar and be tied up all the time?"

Kio licked his lips, leaning in close to the blonde, a small smile forming. "You can chain me up _any_ time you like, Sou-chan. We can go pick out the collar now, if that's what you want."

Soubi pushed Kio away, disregarding the last comment. "You're drunk."

* * *

"**We're home**!" called Natsuo and Youji softly called as they slipped off their shoes in the genkan, aligning them against the step up into the room. Ritsuka was already asleep in his futon, curled into a tight little ball, the tip of his tail brushing his nose. Near the foot of his futon was their small dining table, set with two meals, covered to keep the heat in.

The boys sat at the chabudai, taking the lids off of their miso soup and rice bowls. Steam rose off the simple meal, carrying the delicious scent with it.

"Itadakimasu," they said, pressing their palms together in front of them. They'd picked up a few habits from the Japanese, and their speech regularly switched back and forth between languages. Since Ritsuka had come to live with them, they'd found themselves speaking more consistently in their native tongue.

Quickly, the demons ate their meal, then sat in the small bath together for a few minutes, relaxing before bed.

Settling into the futon beside Youji, Natsuo glanced at the younger demon huddled in the futon. He always slept that way, as if he was used to sleeping in small spaces, or needed to conserve warmth. He reached over to tug the kakebuton a little higher over Ritsuka's shoulders and lay down, putting his arm around Youji.

* * *

Ritsuka folded up his futon and quietly stowed it in the small closet in the corner, trying no to wake Natsuo and Youji. Along the wall next to the closet, stood three baskets. Inside each were carefully folded clothes and the few personal items they could afford to have. Hats, combs, what little jewelry they had managed to save from their homeland, Natsuo and Youji's books, Ritsuka's stuffed rabbit. Ritsuka grabbed the rabbit and went into the unit bath. There he collected a fourth basket of dirty clothes from under the sink.

Unable to read and write, Ritsuka set a piece of paper prepared by Youji on the table. It said, "Gone to do the washing. Ritsuka." At the bottom was a drawing of a washing machine and a basket of clothes. Having done that, Ritsuka pulled on a cadet cap, slipped into his shoes, and left the apartment, basket and rabbit in hand.

In the three weeks that he'd been living with the other demons, his body had almost fully healed. There were still a few bandages on his arm and torso, but even the largest bruises were almost faded. Under Youji's watchful eye, he was healing with few new scars.

The laundromat was a five minute walk from the apartment, one he made once a week, usually while Natsuo and Youji were still asleep. They got off work at one in the morning, so they didn't usually get to sleep until around two.

Ritsuka adjusted his grip on the basket and pushed open the door to the laundromat, his presence announced by the chiming of a bell. He was the only one there, but Ritsuka preferred it that way. After starting his wash, he shifted his tail to the side inside his baggy jeans so that he wouldn't sit on it. Someone had left several different manga magazines on the table, and he idly flipped through them while he waited, looking at the drawings whose words he couldn't read.

After a while, the door chimed, and in walked a beautiful man with blonde hair that was pulled into a ponytail that almost reached his shoulders. Ritsuka's ears twitched slightly under his cap as the man shoved his own clothes into a machine, but he didn't look up when the man sat across from him. Instead, he scooted a little farther down the bench.

Soubi watched the boy for a moment. Normally, he wouldn't have cared about the kid, he was just another random kid in a laundromat, but his eyes had caught his attention. They looked...lifeless.

"Is that manga good?" Soubi asked, surprising himself a little.

"...The pictures are." The kid's voice was quiet, and he didn't look up.

"Well, what about the story?"

"Ritsuka doesn't know. Ritsuka can't read." This answer startled Soubi.

"What about school?"

"...Ritsuka's not allowed to go." The boy seemed to not want to answer, taking a moment to respond to each question.

Soubi didn't press the issue, instead deciding to introduce himself. "I'm Soubi, a uni student at the art school nearby. I'm nineteen, what about you?"

_In human years?_ "...Thirteen." For some reason, the quietness of Ritsuka's voice and his hesitation was starting to bother Soubi. Normally, he would have left this kid alone a long time ago, but this kid...

In one last attempt to draw Ritsuka into a real conversation, Soubi reached out to point at his hat, somewhat stymied by the way Ritsuka flinched away from him. "I like your hat. It looks good on you. But, what are those two little bumps?" He indicated two spots on either side of the top of his own head. "It kind of bulges here, and here."

Just then, Ritsuka's machines beeped, and he unloaded the clothes from them into his basket. As he turned to the door, Soubi said, "You're not going to dry them?"

"...Ritsuka will hang them in the sun. They smell better that way." He pushed the door open, and Soubi called out to him once more.

"I'll be here in a week. Can we talk some more?" Ritsuka glanced back at him, and then he was gone.

* * *

"Sou-chan~! Tadaima~!"

Soubi looked up from the large canvas on the floor and set down his paintbrush. "Funnily enough, I don't remember this being your home."

Kio set a bag of drinks on the chabudai, pouting a little. "Oh, don't be like that. Who's this? Is it a girl or a boy?" He indicated a sketch next to the bag of a melancholy kid wearing a newsboy cap and too-large clothes.

Soubi sat down at the low table with Kio and popped open his drink. "It's a boy named Ritsuka that I met in the laundromat this morning."

"This morning? Shouldn't he have been in school?"

"Says he's not allowed to go. Can't read, either, apparently."

Kio stared at Soubi. "You actually cared enough to ask? _You?_ Mr. Cold Indifference himself? Shock! Kio's shocked!" He looked down at the sketch again. "You didn't get the eyes right. They're kinda lifeless."

Soubi shook his head. "They're right. I just wonder why, though...You know, the way he talked was weird, too. He talked in third person, like some cutesy girl, but his voice was really quiet and hesitant."

Kio blinked. "This Ritsuka kid's really gettin' to you, huh?"

Soubi shrugged. "Maybe..."

Soubi sat in the laundromat, flipping through his sketchbook as he waited, looking at the sketches of Ritsuka. The week before, he had waited for Ritsuka to come and do his laundry, even though he hadn't said anything to indicate that he would come see him again. To his surprise, the boy had arrived just as Soubi was deciding to give up. Ritsuka had not spoken much, but he had listened to Soubi talk as he'd sketched. Although, he always sat as far away as the table allowed.

The door chimed, and Ritsuka walked in, inclining his head to Soubi before loading his clothes into a machine. Soubi smiled to himself, flipping to a fresh page in his sketchbook.

"The subject for today's sketch is a demon," said the instructor, walking behind her students. They were lined up in front of a demon sitting on a mattress in the middle of the room. "I want you to look at him closely. He may look very much like a human, but there are small structural differences that differentiates him from us - the humans. I don't want any half-baked sketches here, people!" She double-checked her model's pose, then left her students to their artwork.

As his drawing took form on the paper, Soubi marveled at the vaguely feline beauty of the figure before him. Demons were very attractive, at least to humans - Soubi had no idea how demons viewed each other. They were thin, which for a human would mean less strength, but they were a good deal stronger than most humans. The model, at first glance, seemed almost too skinny, but his muscles rippled subtly under his skin when he moved. His jeans seemed too large for him, riding low on his hips so his tail could move freely.

The demon's hair was pulled into a long, loose braid that hung over one shoulder. He turned his head slightly, allowing Soubi a better view of the other side of his face. Soubi's brow furrowed as he remembered something from his meeting with Ritsuka that morning. Ritsuka had brushed his hair back from his face and had paused to scratch where his ear should have been. Soubi hadn't actually seen an ear there, just hair. But he'd seen it from the corner of his eye, so he'd dismissed the thought. But, seeing the demon before him now, the only ears being the cat-like pair on top of his head, he began to rethink the dismissal.

* * *

"_**Huuungryyyyy**_..."whined Natsuo, who had flopped onto the table, his outstretched arms hanging over the edge. He and Youji were taking a day off, and so they were eating dinner with Ritsuka rather than following their normal, delayed meal schedule.

"**Oh, be quiet**," said Youji, pouring green tea over three bowls of rice and tsukemono. "**We need to go grocery shopping after the meal - we've basically got rice and green tea left**."

"**It's a little late to go grocery shopping**," said Ritsuka. "**All the vegetables will be picked over**."

"**It'll be fine**," said Youji, nudging Natsuo out of the way to set the food on the table. "**Besides, we'll have a discount**."

* * *

Ritsuka carried two bags of rice to the counter, and waited for the shopkeeper to come. Youji had split up what money they had into rice, meat, and vegetables, though it seemed to him that there was next to nothing for vegetables. The older demons had assured him that it would be okay, and sent him into the rice shop before continuing down the street. Ritsuka had a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't be okay, but he let it alone. They would figure something out.

"Can you handle that okay?" asked the shopkeeper once he finished tallying the price, and handed back the change.

Ritsuka easily lifted the bags and tucked them under one arm, nodding to the shopkeeper as he pushed out the door. He was supposed to wait outside the rice shop for Natsuo and Youji, so he leaned against the wall and watched a few people walking down the street. After a minute, he was startled by an angry shout a few buildings down. When he turned to look, Natsuo and Youji were running full speed down the street towards him, their arms full of bags of meat and vegetables.

The older boys nearly ran past him, only stopping for a moment. "**Run**," said Natsuo, then took off again. Ritsuka adjusted the rice bags under his arm and turned to follow them, when something caught his eye. Their pursuer was none other than Soubi, from the laundromat.

"Stop!" the man called. "How did I get roped into this?" he grumbled to himself, then noticed Ritsuka, who bolted.

Catching up with the others, Ritsuka said quietly, "**I know him, from the laundry. Run faster**."

The demons ducked around the corner, weaving through the streets in an attempt to lose Soubi. When they were sure he was gone, they turned towards home. Still slightly jumpy, Youji unlocked the door and ushered the other two inside. He was just about to close the door when a foot slipped in, blocking its path.

"**Crap! This guy is persistent! Why couldn't he just have left it alone**!" Youji said, trying to push the door closed through Soubi's foot, but the man managed to force himself through.

"Crap, you guys are fast...You're demons?" The question surprised the boys, and they looked at one another questioningly. Natsuo's stomach sank, and he pointed at Ritsuka's head - his hat had fallen off at some point during the chase, revealing the cat-like ears beneath.

Youji pinched the bridge of his nose. "...**What do we do now? We can't just let him leave**." Soubi strained to hear the words, but very little of the strange tongue was audible to him.

"**For now, let's just see what he has to say about this**." Natsuo motioned for Soubi to sit, and locked the door. "What do you want?" he said, turning to Soubi, and removing his own hat. Youji did likewise, and all three freed their tails from the confines of their jeans. It was fairly uncomfortable hiding them underneath their clothing, so it was always a relief to come home, where they didn't have to hide them.

"...Nothing," said Soubi, watching with interest. "Well...hearing your story might be nice, I guess. I'm a little shell-shocked at the moment." He certainly didn't look it; Soubi appeared to be completely unruffled by the unveiling of three ownerless demons.

Natsuo and Youji sat down at the chabudai with Soubi, but Ritsuka stayed back, putting the food that had been dropped on the floor away. "Ritsuka, why don't you join us?" Soubi held up his hands in a peaceful gesture, but the boy pulled back even farther, watching him from the corner of his eye.

"He's afraid of humans, stupid. I'm amazed you managed to get anything out of him. You've only met him, what? Once, twice?" Natsuo said matter-of-factly, not bothering to disguise his automatic dislike for the man.

"We don't exactly trust you, either. We haven't got the best of memories of you people," said Youji.

Soubi was quiet for a moment, unsure what to say. He looked around the apartment, amazed that the three of them had enough space to live. "Why don't you come stay with me?" he said, to everyone's surprise.

Natsuo narrowed his eyes. "What're you playing at?"

Soubi shrugged. "Nothing. It just looks like you guys could use a hand, especially if you have to steal food." Still suspicious, Natsuo and Youji looked at each other, and then at Ritsuka, who gave a tiny shrug.

"...**We could try**," he said. "**We can always leave. Right**?"

"...Fine," said Youji, turning back to Soubi. "We'll go. But, if you try anything, you're going to regret it."

* * *

**Japanese!**

**When Natsuo and Youji say "We're leaving" and "We're home" normally it would demand a reply, but because of Ritsuka's personality and situation, I guess it's okay. When you leave the house, you say "Ittekimasu" which means "I'm going and will come back," the reply being "Itterasshai" meaning "Yes, go and come back." When you return home, you say "Tadaima" which means "I've returned," the reply being "Okaeri" meaning "You've returned." That's the literal translation. Basically, it's "I'm leaving," "Have a good day," "I'm home" and "Welcome home."**

**1K apartment - It's a really small apartment. Basically, one room with a kitchen and a small bathroom. Not all 1K's have a tub, so there are variations on how people living there bathe - public baths, usually, but I believe there are some apartment buildings that have a communal bath for itself that all the tenants use.**

**izakaya - comes from the word sakaya, meaning sake shop. Izakaya serve not only alcohol, but food as well. They generally cater to business people going drinking with coworkers.**

**genkan - the entryway to a home, where shoes are slipped off and either put on a shelf called a getabako (shoe shelf) or aligned near the step up into the house, pointing toward the door so you can just slip into them when you leave. And yes, there is a step up, so that when you leave, you're basically stepping down into your shoes.**

**chabudai - a traditional table, low to the ground. You either sit on the floor (tatami - woven reed mats) or zabutan (a cushion you sit on instead of a chair).**

**Itadakimasu - Thank you for the food. Said before you eat. After you eat, you say "Gochisousama" which also means "Thank you for the food." 'Tis polite, and people generally say it whether others are around or not.**

**Taking a bath before bed is a cultural thing. When you get in the bath, it's for relaxation and warming oneself, and you wash before you get in, next to the ofuro (bathtub, basically). Everyone in the house bathes in the same water, so you're completely clean before you even think of stepping into the water. Also, it's common to bathe with family members and those close to you as a bonding experience. Sento are communal baths, and are very common. Everyone bathes together in one giant bath (segregated by sex of course). Also, furo are deep-you sit neck-deep in the water and just soak.**

**Miso soup and rice are staples in Japanese cuisine, and can be found at almost every meal.**

**Just as a reminder, kakebuton is the thick quilted cover you sleep under when on a futon.**

**Drinking parties are common, a social thing. Coworkers at a company might go drinking together, classmates in college (legal drinking age is 20, when you're legally an adult).**

**Unit bath- normally, the bath and toilet area are separate in Japanese houses and apartments. But in some small, cheap apartments, the bath and toilet are combined. In the bathroom, there's a tub and an open shower area next to the tub, so you get into the tub already clean. In unit baths, the toilet and sink are there too.**

**Uni student - university student**

**Tadaima - means "I'm home" usually demands the reply "Okaeri" which means "Welcome home" but since it's not actually Kio's home...**

**chabudai - low table traditionally used in Japanese homes. One sits on either a small cushion or just the tatami when sitting at one.**

**Talking in third person - Talking in third person is usually used by little kids or girls who want to appear cute/cutesy**

**tsukemono - literally "pickled things"; can be a variety of foods for example - daikon (radish), ginger, cucumber, eggplant, fish, cabbage, plum**

**Ochazuke - (I didn't name this one in the story) simple dish made by pouring tea, dashi (Japanese soup stock), or hot water over rice in the same proportion as milk to cereal. Common toppings include tsukemono, umeboshi (pickled plums), nori (seaweed), salted salmon, wasabi, and sesame seeds. Also known as cha-cha gohan. Cha/ocha means tea (usually green, and never black); zuke = tsuke (submerge); gohan (rice).**


End file.
